We are total science nerds (We get to experiment everyday in our lab). Science doesn't have to be boring, and we would like to thank our friends at Education.com for providing us with this fun science experiment for kids that involves Vitamin C.
Vitamin C is an important product in the health and beauty industry. While it's been know to help with warding off colds, it also has other important uses too.
Vitamin C is an antioxidant that neutralizes free radicals, which can damage proteins, lipids, and DNA in your skin causing cell damage. Since vitamin C is essential for the production of collagen in the body, it makes sense that it would help keep your skin glowing and young.
Some studies have also linked it to preventing and treating damage from UV rays.
Check out this fun experiment you can do at home to test the vitamin C content in different juices.
Oh, Say Can You See the Vitamin C?
Problem:
Vitamin C is important to health. It helps prevent scurvy. It also helps the body heal itself.In this investigation, three different juices are tested to determine which juice contains the greatest amount of vitamin C. The juice that requires the least amount of drops contains the greatest amount of vitamin C.
For more fun and engaging learning activities, go to Education.com!
Materials:
- Bowl
- ½ cup water
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- Spoon
- 4 drops 2% iodine (purchased at a pharmacy)
- 3 clear glasses
- 3 different types of juices (including one that is fortified with vitamin C)
- medicine dropper
Experimental Procedure:
- Gather the necessary materials.
- Mix the cornstarch with water until dissolved.
- Using a medicine dropper, add iodine to the cornstarch mixture. Add one drop at a time until the mixture turns dark blue. Rinse the dropper.
- Place 1/3 of the mixture into each glass.
- Use the clean medicine dropper to gather a sample of one of the juices. Place one drop of juice into the mixture of the first glass and stir. Continue adding and stirring the juice one drop at a time until the dark blue color disappears. Record the number of drops of juice.
- Repeat Step 5 for the other two juices.
Results
When iodine is mixed with starch, it turns a deep blue color. When vitamin C is present the deep blue color fades.
“Vitamins” at http://kidshealth.org/kid/
“Facts about Vitamin C” by Linda B. Bobroff and Isabel Valentine-Oquendo at http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/
“The Antioxidant Vitamin – Vitamin C” by Gary Null, Ph.D at http://www.garynull.com/
“The Benefits of Vitamin C” by Kathleen M Zelman, MPH at http://www.webmd.com/diet/
